 | NIA to intensify drive vs land conversion |
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balita.ph: February 3, 2012 12:30 am LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 2 — A top official of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) said that government would step up its campaign against land conversion as substantial government investments in agriculture would be lost if landowners continue to convert their farmlands into commercial, industrial and residential areas. NIA Administrator Antonio S. Nangel over the weekend warned landowners whose farmlands are covered by NIA’s irrigation service areas, and subsequently converted into other estate, would affect the country’s food sufficiency program. Nangel said the unabated land conversions from agricultural lands to commercial, industrial and residential would slow down the government agriculture target to be a rice sufficient country by next year. The government is infusing substantial amount of funds this year with P24.7 billion for irrigation projects, including dams, canals, other water facilities to boost agriculture productivity across the country. “With this huge investment it would be a big loss for the government if landowners would convert their farmlands into other land ventures,” Nangel said. Nangel during a press conference on Thursday here said that land conversions cases have been reported in other regions specifically in Southern Luzon — Calabarzon (Cavite, Quezon, Batangas, Laguna and Rizal) and the Bicol region. He said in Bicol there are 239,660 hectares of irrigable areas of which 121,442 has are in irrigation service areas, where farmlands are provided with irrigation structures and facilities. He said the land conversions would affect the government’s investment on new irrigation project as well as on-going projects. NIA is spending P150,000 per hectare for the construction of new irrigation canals while spending P60,000 per hectare for repair works. Another operational problem that the agency is facing in Bicol is the illegal use of its irrigation facilities by landowners engaged in the recreation (swimming pool) and fishpond business. Nangel directed William Ragodon, NIA Bicol chief, to look into this matter as this would also affect the delivery of irrigation services to farmlands. He cited a resort owner from Baao town in Camarines Sur whose business is located beside a government irrigation canal is using the water for their swimming pool. Nearby farmers tilling their farm lots are complaining that the irrigation water flowing in their farm are tainted with “chlorine” according to these farmers the chemical destroys their ricelands. Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala who also visited this city over the weekend told reporters that the Department of Agriculture (DA) is on the right track in meeting its target for rice self sufficiency by 2013. He said the country would no longer rely much to rice importation as this would decrease importation from 660,000 metric tons to 500,000 MTs this year and 500,000 MTs to 400,000 MTs in 2013. Alcala said with the right irrigation system, agriculture technology the agency’s program for rice sufficiency would be attained. He said the agriculture sector have produced 16.8 million metric tons (MMTs) of rice last year, the DA intends to increase this yield by 18.75 MMTs this year and 20.44 MMTs in 2013. [DCT/LAM/LQ/MSA/cbd] |
